POLISH POPULATION REVIEW

Poland (Warsaw) 90

1994 - NUMBER 5

96.90.1 - English - Adam KURZYNOWSKI, Warsaw School of Economics, Al. Niepodleglosci 162, 02-554 Warsaw (Poland)

Family policy in 1990-1994

The present article deals with the aims and instruments of Polish family policy and with its place within the State's social policy. The author describes the development of the family policy in the current context of transformation of relationships between national and local social policies and families' economic security, against a background of structural changes. He particularly emphasises expenditure in the fields of food, health and hygiene, as well as the dynamics of the impoverishment of families. He concludes by recommending that the family should be more appropriately accounted for in economic and social policies and by making proposals which are likely to create a more favourable context for family building, development and proper functioning. (POLAND, SOCIAL POLICY, FAMILY WELFARE, TRANSITIONAL SOCIETY)

96.90.2 - English - Malgorzata RÍSZKIEWICZ, Warsaw School of Economics, Al. Niepodleglosci 164, 02-554 Warsaw (Poland) An attempt at evaluation of the economic and social factors' influence on the Polish population's fertility formation

A structural transformation aimed at bringing in a market economy has been developing within Polish society since 1989. The scope of the changes which have already taken place makes it possible to state that the market economy is already prevalent in the consumer sector. The market economy serves as a framework for the proponents of the economic theories of fertility to put forward basic hypotheses on reproductive behavioural patterns. With this aim in mind, the author of the present article attempts to evaluate to what degree the economic relationships described in the various economic theories of fertility, linked to the economic determinants of reproductive behaviour, have an impact on the Polish population's fertility. Use was made of some aspects of factor analysis and the method of main components in order to undertake this evaluation. In order to describe the main economic determinants of fertility, the author uses the data of the Central Statistical Office on the spatial differentiation of fertility and socio-economic trends. The results obtained would appear to indicate that reproductive decisions are very negatively affected by those factors which determine the family's income, while demographic and social factors do not have such a clear-cut effect. Only a partial correlation between the regular patterns observed and the theses of the economic theories of fertility can be observed. (POLAND, ECONOMIC DEMOGRAPHY, FERTILITY DETERMINANTS, TRANSITIONAL SOCIETY)

96.90.3 - English - Ewa FRATCZAK, Institute of Statistics and Demography, Warsaw School of Economics, Al. Niepodleglosci 164, 02-554 Warsaw (Poland) and Barbara PASZEK, Institute of Economic Calculation Methods, Academy of Economy, Al. Raclawicka 27, 31-150 Cracow (Poland) An examination of family and migration career correlation - An application of non-parametric and semi-parametric analysis methods to the results of the retrospective study "Life course (family, occupational and migratory biography), 1988"

In the first part of the present article, the application of the non-parametric method lies in the constant nature of the ratios of two intensity functions. The authors have calculated the statistical distribution of the quotient of two risk functions. In a hypothesis such as this, the statistics are clearly seen to follow Cauchy's distribution with defined density and distribution functions. In order to calculate the probability in question, the measurement "a-1" is introduced - this can be interpreted overall as the absolute difference between the values of the two distribution functions. In the second part of the article, the main objective of the analysis is to provide a precise description of the intensity of the transition between two states: (i) from "non-migrant married person" to "married with one migration", (ii) from "married with one migration" to "married with two migrations". The model which contains constant terms and time-dependent determinants, was estimated by logarithmic linearisation (LOGLIN). The study covered women born from 1909 to 1943 and an approach known as "the feminine orientation approach" was adopted. (POLAND, EVENT HISTORY ANALYSIS, LIFE CYCLE, MIGRATION)

96.90.4 - English - Pawel RYDZEWSKI, Catholic University of Lublin, Al. Raclawickie 14, 20-950 Lublin (Poland)

Divorce in the family life cycle

The author presents here the results of a study undertaken between 1986 and 1988 in three large cities of Poland : Szczecin, Warsaw and Tarnów. The sample was made up of those people who had divorced in 1983 and 1984. After presenting the method of analysis and the sources used, the author describes his evaluation of the causes and determinants of divorce in relation to the family life cycle. The article is an attempt at an interdisciplinary approach to the phenomenon that is divorce and combines both demographic and sociological perspectives. (POLAND, DIVORCE, FAMILY LIFE CYCLES, INTERDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH)

96.90.5 - English - Alicja SZUMAN, University of Economics in Poznan, 10 Niepodleglosci st., 60-967 Poznan (Poland) Mother's professional career versus reproductive behaviour in the family life cycle

In the present study, the author examines, from a dynamic perspective (i.e., using a longitudinal analysis of the family life cycle), the attitudes of mothers towards the family reproductive process. Her research is based on the results of a national survey covering 2,753 families. The study has shown that, during the period of a family's development, the professional career of a married woman is a significant factor in the differential behaviour of mothers with regard to reproduction. There appears to be a general move towards an increase in the period of family building and a reduction of the reproductive phase in those families where the mother has a professional career; this results in a decline in the number of children in these families. A tendency to restrict childbearing activities to the benefit of improving or maintaining the standard of living already achieved has already been noticed in contemporary Polish families. (POLAND, FERTILITY TRENDS, FAMILY LIFE CYCLES, FEMALE EMPLOYMENT)

96.90.6 - English - Walentyna IGNATCZYK, University of Economics in Poznan, 10 Niepodleglosci st., 60-967 Poznan (Poland)

Family values' system of Polish single youth in the 1980s

Some of the results of a survey on the attitudes of families (towards marriage and childbearing) are presented in this article, in comparison with the values' system of young single Poles. The empirical data deemed to be reliable consisted of 4,316 questionnaires completed by young single people aged between 18 and 34 years old as of 1986. The author concentrates her attention on specific elements of a hypothetical model of a family in the future: the pattern of values relative to marriage and that of values relative to reproduction. She observes the family values' system of Polish youth in terms of motivation towards marriage, the values of conjugal life and evaluating the success of the couple. In order to identify those values relative to reproduction, she attempts to determine the relative importance which the young people award respectively to family size and to women's/mothers' professional activity. The point of view of young people with regard to marriage and reproduction is situated within the context of the difficult socio-economic conditions in the country which is a source of major difficulty for many Poles. (POLAND, YOUTH, VALUE SYSTEMS, MARRIAGE, FERTILITY, FAMILY)

96.90.7 - English - Maria CHROMINSKA, University of Economics in Poznan, 10 Niepodleglosci st., 60-967 Poznan (Poland) The influence of the farm size on the parity of a farming family in Poland

The present article describes statistical research on the relationship between the parity of farming families and the surface areas of farms, and on the role which this latter variable plays amongst the determinants of family parity. In order to achieve this objective, the results of a survey carried out by questionnaire and undertaken in 1985, on a sample of independent farming families, were used. The analysis covered 1,291 rural farming couples who married between 1920 and 1984. According to the results obtained, W. Stys' thesis on the positive relationship between family parity and farm size is only valid for those marriages contracted between 1920 and 1964. From one five-year marriage group to another, a trend was observed in the structure of this relationship. It takes the shape of a third degree parabolic or polynomial function. The research showed that, in those marriage cohorts which have come to the end of their reproductive period, the farm's size proved to be practically insignificant in explaining the development in the number of live-born children, in comparison with other determinants, in particular cultural and demographic factors. (POLAND, AGRICULTURE, FARMING, FAMILY SIZE)

96.90.8 - English - Wiktoria WROBLEWSKA, Warsaw School of Economics, Al Niepodleglosci 164, 02-554 Warsaw (Poland)

Adolescent maternity in Poland\: Analysis using the outcome of the young mother questionnaire and procedure HOMALS

The present study consists of a short analysis of the intensity and trends of fertility amongst Polish teenagers and of a presentation of some of the results of the Survey on Young Mothers which was carried out on teenagers who had a baby in 1988. The socio-demographic characteristics of the young mothers are described, with emphasis on the local context of teenage fertility and on the role of the family of origin, in which the young mother was brought up. In order to analyse the survey results, the SPSS/PC+ software and the HOMALS analysis homogeneity procedure was used. (POLAND, ADOLESCENT FERTILITY, SURVEYS)

96.90.9 - English - Iwona ROESKE-SLOMKA, University of Eocnomics in Poznan, 10 Niepodleglosci st., 60-967 Poznan (Poland) Entropy of family structures in households

Data on households which have been drawn from censuses are published in the shape of continuous statistical series which makes it impossible to determine what are known as classical parameters or situational parameters. Consequently, the concept of entropy, which is calculated using only absolute numbers, can be a useful analytical tool. In this way, the author was able to establish, inter alia, that the differences between households with one, two, three or more families, were greater in 1988 than in 1978. In any case, the rates of asymmetry were positive. In the case of married couples with children, the level of asymmetry is higher than in the case of childless couples. These conclusions can be applied not only to urban and rural areas separately, but also to Poland as a whole. (POLAND, HOUSEHOLD COMPOSITION, CENSUS DATA, METHODOLOGY)

96.90.10 - English - Marek SZCZESNIAK, Central Statistical Office, Al. Niepodleglosci 208, 00-608 Warsaw (Poland) and Zbigniew STRZELECKI, Warsaw School of Economics, Al. Niepodleglosci 162, 02-554 Warsaw (Poland)

Suicides in Poland: Demographic aspect

Although suicides are only a marginal phenomenon within general mortality as a whole, they are not to be considered negligible in demographic studies. This article presents some of the results of an analysis of suicide statistics by means of which the authors hoped to supply some answers to the following questions: What are the levels and trends of the risk of death by suicide in the Polish population? Is Poland any different from other countries in this respect? What are the social and demographic characteristics of suicides in Poland (in which population categories and in which regions of the country does this phenomenon occur most frequently)? In what circumstances does the desperate decision to put an end to one's life take place? The contents of this study deal in the main with the 1990s (for the comparisons), with the last thirty years (for the trends) and with the years 1992 and 1993 (for the structure). (POLAND, SUICIDE, MORTALITY TRENDS, DIFFERENTIAL MORTALITY, COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS)

96.90.11 - English - Teresa MANTORSKA The impact of environment on human health: The Polish case

The editorial committee of the "Polish Population Review" has decided to publish an unfinished study commenced by Teresa Mantorska, who was a founder member of the Polish Demographic Society who died recently. The author undertook wide-ranging research on the impact of environmental factors on the health status of the population, mainly from the point of view of the demographic consequences. Her intention was to develop a broad international comparison. (PUBLIC HEALTH, ENVIRONMENT)

96.90.12 - English - Maria DASZYNSKA, Central Statistical Office, Al. Niepodleglosci 208, 00-608 Warsaw (Poland) Families' nutrition needs

Using the results of research on households which was undertaken in the period 1989-1992, the author presents current trends in the consumption of basic foods (bread and other cereal derivatives, meat, fish and their derivatives, fats, milk, dairy products, fruit and vegetables) according to the family's income. The second part of the study examines the results of a questionnaire survey undertaken in 1993 which provide a subjective evaluation of families' nutritional needs. (POLAND, FOOD CONSUMPTION, HOUSEHOLD INCOME)

96.90.13 - English - Kazimierz LATUCH, Central Statistical Office, Al. Niepodleglosci 208, 00-608 Warsaw (Poland)

Questionnaire surveys of the situation of women in Poland, 1961-1994

The present article deals with surveys which covered the situation of women in Poland in 1961, 1972, 1983, 1987, 1991 and 1994, in the framework of the statistical research programme of the Central Statistical Office. The surveys undertaken in 1961 (5,708 married women aged under 50) and 1972 (12,079 women not working in the agricultural sector) covered samples which had been specifically conceived for these surveys. The ones in 1983 (5,031 women aged from 18 to 59 years old), 1987 (4,817 women aged between 18 and 59) and 1991 (4,511 women aged 18 to 59) were undertaken in the framework of the "Integrated system of surveys on households", covering only those households in which lived labourers, farmers, farm labourers, or elderly pensioners or handicapped people. The 1994 survey (3,409 women aged between 18 and 59 years old) was part of the "Integrated system of surveys on the population's living conditions" and was carried out in the framework of the year 1995 being proclaimed International Women's Year. For the first time ever, a survey of this type was to cover, over and above the households mentioned above, single-person households and those containing people who lived off transfer incomes other than retirement or invalidity pensions. (POLAND, WOMEN'S STATUS, HOUSEHOLD SURVEYS)

96.90.14 - English - Marlena KUCIARSKA-CIESIELSKA, Central Statistical Office, Al. Niepodleglosci 208, 00-608 Warsaw (Poland) Divorce and partner relationship among ex-dyads

It was possible to identify the reasons which incite people to get married by using a representative survey on the causes and effects of divorce. This survey was carried out in 1991 by the Central Statistical Office in conjunction with UNFPA. For those people who were interviewed, the decision to wed was mainly motivated by the desire to live in a family unit, and secondly, by love - which was only mentioned by half of the sample population - and then, by the conception of a child. The main reasons behind divorce were the lack of psychological aptitude for marriage and the treatment of the spouse as an instrument for satisfying one's own desires. The quality of the marriage of the interviewee's parents and the models of bad behaviour in interpersonal relationships had a significant influence on the break-up of a marriage. In the majority of cases, at least one of the ex-spouses felt that his or her parents had been an unhappy couple. After divorcing, the younger people generally intended to re-marry at some point and to have children, while the divorcees aged between 30 and 39 preferred simply to live together without having any children and the oldest of the divorcees, mainly women, preferred to remain on their own. (POLAND, DIVORCED PERSONS, MARRIAGE, REMARRIAGE, CONSENSUAL UNION)

96.90.15 - English - Vijayan K. PILLAI, University of North Texas (U.S.A.) and Ann C. KELLEY, University of Texas at Arlington (U.S.A.) Men and family planning: Toward a policy of male involvement

Most family planning programmes have been conceived with females in mind. Consequently, male involvement in family planning is minimal in most developing countries. Furthermore, a certain number of other explanations (cultural, economic and religious) have been found for the low levels of their involvement in family planning. What can be done to promote male methods of family planning in developing countries? The most direct policy to this effect would perhaps be to increase the levels of knowledge and use of male methods. In their examination of strategies and programmes aiming at a policy for involving men in family planning, the authors present three well-known programmes considered to be successful. At the same time, they examine the values to be promoted in order to ensure the viability of a policy for involving men in developing countries. (DEVELOPING COUNTRIES, FAMILY PLANNING PROGRAMMES, MEN'S ROLE)

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